8.
"Do you even know where you are going? You deliberately went in a different direction than them, you don't know who or where these people are and you don't even know what you are up against!"
"We'll one; the rule is I cannot join Yusuke, can't join him if I didn't go with him right? Two, if you were this worried about what we were going to be up against then you wouldn't have agreed to go. And number three, I know exactly where I'm going and I don't want to make our presence known to him so keep your voice down!"
"He, you cannot be serious!"
"Shh! He's nearby." She opened her senses and sure enough she felt Hiei nearby, the question was where was he? She moved slowly and quietly up a tree to get a better view, as she scanned the area she spotted him maybe forty feet off in a tree. Without hesitation she lep from branch to branch until she was only ten feet away. She watched him closely as he seemed to be sleeping, studying the rise and fall of his chest. Strange, he didn't seem so hateful and cold this way but conflicted and sad; she must have stung him hard with her words, she saw he had a harrowing past but didn't know the extent of its effect on him. Funny she can see memories and feel their emotions at the time but she was still learning tact when it came to what they felt about them now. Now he seemed to be having a dream, or possibly a nightmare and she felt conflicted.
"I want to see, but I promised I wouldn't; if you want me to find her then you have to help me."
"Yukina!" He awoke with a start and was only inches from her face, in that solemn moment she saw something in his eyes, was it fear, sadness, guilt? She hadn't time to wonder as he then went for his sword. She immobilized him which only made him angier.
"I'm getting really tired of you!"
"Hiei Please! I didn't look, I swear; but if you want me to help I need you to work with me. Please, I don't mean any harm; I want her out safe just like you. I just need you to trust me."
"Trust you?! That's a joke if I ever heard one!" She put a hand on his shoulder and showed him an image of a young girl, she was alone and angry. She had no one to go home to, no one to understand, no one to know what to say because she had to hide all that she was from the world, and yet she didn't even know what that was.
"The only difference is that you weren't given a chance to have someone love you, and that is their doing not yours. But you have the chance to have that; I had my family but because they had some stupid dispute I have no one and I will never have another chance at it. I want you to have your chance have it for me."
"Humph you think I want anything to do with the girl your sadly mistaken, you can keep your ideals and your sentiment. She's nothing to me; she could die for all I care."
"I never took you to be a fool so you are either lying or you're incredibly stupid."
"What?!"
"I knew you were looking for someone, but I didn't know who she was. I didn't see your dream but I know it was about her! You care about her and there aren't enough lies in the world you can tell me that will make me believe otherwise. I also believe that she doesn't know your name but she cares about you more than you will ever realize. You two are connected by blood and that doesn't mean things will be perfect or even good, but to be connected in such a way means more than simple friendship; this is for life. I know you feel it, I know what you really want; and if you want it to happen you have to help me help you." Hiei looked away, thinking.
"My Jagan can't see her." it was in such a whisper she almost didn't hear her.
"Do you have something of hers hair, clothing anything that may have her scent?" Hiei looked at her a moment and searched his pocket. He pulled out a small red piece.
"This came from her hair, it's all I have." She took it carefully in her hand and smelled it deeply, she then saw her face again, a few various images of the girl and her memories came to view until she saw the horrid dungeon she was locked in. She gave him the memento back.
"I got it, I'll find her, I promise and your secret is safe with me." He nodded as she leapt from the tree hitting the ground on all fours in her wolf form as she sped through trees. She let loose a piercing howl that was met with various howls in response, the search party was now in effect. Zoie caught up and ran alongside her.
"I didn't think Hiei would trust you enough to tell you as much as he did, figure he would kill you first."
"He isn't a bad as he puts off; and besides I didn't give him the chance. I'm going to find Yukina and I'm going to keep her safe."
"What are you going to do if you fail?"
"Then Hiei will kill me for real this time."
"Hmm, then we better not fail then, I'd hate to have to kill him because you had to stick your nose where it doesn't belong." She skidded to a stop on that and met him with a vicious snarl.
"Who the hell do you think you are?! Just because you are bound to me doesn't make you my superior, you are a guardian, you work for me and that means you are to stay in your place! Unless you want to take over." Zoie only looked at her, she was her most aggressive when in this form, it was like the animalistic instinct took over her logic. None the less if she did intend to brawl he could not harm her no matter how much she could to him, it was by this logic that he chose not to accept her challenge.
"You are right, I am not your superior, just your guardian. My job is to keep you safe and keep you alive until you can properly do so on your own. But get this straight child, I do not work for you but for Korrin, she bound my soul to you when you were still sucking her teat, she gave me the information needed to keep you in her absence not the other way around and it is her power she gave to me in emergencies not yours. So if you want to throw down knowing I cannot harm you without cause is not only cowardice but very unwise. You are young, inexperienced and ill-equipped to be on your own let alone go globetrotting all over to face foes and save others that have nothing to do with you. In other words, you need me more than I will ever need you, and if I were never bound to you I sure as hell wouldn't be here catering to your whims now." He knew he got to her rationality, but what he didn't expect was the hurt look in her eyes as her ears lowered in submission. She has never submitted to me before..
"I'm sorry…I ask your forgiveness Zoie, but I owe it to a friend who has put his trust in me to help him find her. Please don't abandon your faith in me now." He nibbled her ears playfully causing a wag of her tail.
"I know that, like I said I have watched over you all of your life, I know you better than you know yourself. You are a kind-hearted person, and if you had the chance to reunite with a family member you would hope someone could help you do so. But understand, you can try as hard as you can and still fail, you have to be prepared for that."
"I am, but I have to try my hardest first." Both of their ears perked to the distant howl in the northwest.
"They found the mansion."
"Come on, let's go." They raced to he direction until they found the large estate that laid heavy with guards.
"Do you have a plan?"
"Yusuke and Kuwabara will be this way and according to their thoughts they aren't far behind us."
"Party at the front door?"
"Crashing at the back window." They snuck around back and found a couple of guards. They weren't as big as the ones in the front, probably because they knew the main assault would be launched there. One was blue skinned with horns and orange hair while the other was red with much larger horns but seemed to keep his head shaved. Both were muscular and she could tell both weren't pushovers.
They both turned with a start as Siera and Zoie simply walked up to the guard unthreateningly.
"Hey what are you doing, we haven't got any food so shove off!" Siera lowered her ears and tail and whined as though wanting attention. She slumped up to the blue demon, placing a paw on his foot and panting. He relented and gave her head a pat.
"What do you think you're doing? Were supposed to be on the lookout for the intruders!"
"Hey we are, she just wanted to make a friend didn't you girl? Your absolutely gorgeous, yes you are and big too, those teeth could kill someone easily! What if we keep her, she would make good security!" Siera licked the demons face, and looked to the other panting happily.
"He has such dazzling eyes, I've never seen that shade of blue!"
Open the door.
"What…did you say something?"
"It wasn't me…"
Open the door and let us in, shut the door behind us, your memory will be you petted us and we ran away. You will not remember letting us in. The demons looked vacantly before standing up and walking to the door. The blue skinned one opened it, allowing Siera and Zoie to enter without a single bout of aggression.
"Very good."
"If I can reach her without spilling blood it would be ideal, as much as I don't want all of the fun to go to Yusuke, ringing the alarm early would put him at a disadvantage."
"Very strategic, what will we do when we reach her?"
"I hope to simply walk her out, if that is impossible then I will alert Hiei of her location, I know that between the three of them, she will be liberated." As they walked leisurely through the hall, she kept her focus on nearby minds; to them they were not there, which allowed them to venture peacefully.
"There is a set of stairs."
"Her scent leads here, it's old, she must have been here a while." They ran up the stairs until they reached a chamber with yet another guard.
Open the door and let us in. The guard opened the gate and she walked inside as Zoie stood his ground.
"You aren't coming?"
"Protect the girl, I will go and get more help, there is something else here, I feel it and I know you cannot fight it, so lay low and keep her safe from harm I will be back with reinforcements." With that he was gone and she turned back to the task at hand. She found the poor girl depressed and in tears as she sat on the floor holding a couple of dead birds. She looked up terrified at seeing Siera fearing yet another assault.
No, please don't be afraid I'm here to help you.
"Are…are you a telepath; is that how you are talking to me?"
Yes, I want to get you out of here.
"No, you cannot, you will only die like everyone else who has tried to help me."
You don't understand…I can set you free.
"NO! Don't you get it, the ones who did this…they are very powerful, and I fear that if you tried, they will only kill you and I can't have any more blood on my hands…I just can't do it!" she shuddered as she held herself not wanting to cry anymore. Siera came close and snuggled the girl letting her wail into her fur moving her to cry herself. The sound of keys jingling brought both of their hearts to full speed. A guard, this time human, came in with a cattle prod in hand, keen on getting a pocket of jewels of his own.
"Since you are on such a role sweetheart; how about you give your ole uncle Kinsho a few of those tears?" Siera snarled at him menacingly and the man took a step back in shock.
"What the hell, how did you get in here?!"
Get out, you will not harm his girl unless you want to lose your own life! And you never saw me here! The guard proceeded to walk away without a word.
"Will he tell?"
No…no one will hurt you if I can help it, but if these people are too strong like you say then I cannot guarantee that you won't be harmed before help arrives. But I will make sure that you are not alone, and if those people do come I will gladly give my life to keep you from shedding another tear even if it is just for a few more minutes. But help is on the way, you won't have to live like this much longer, I promise.
"I don't even know your name…"
Siera, my name is Siera and it is an honor to make your acquaintance Yukina.
"Thank you Siera…you are such a nice guardian…" The girl fell asleep exhausted, nestled in her thick fur she looked at the poor girl in sadness. She licked her wounds and wrapped her body around her. I will watch over you until help comes, if it takes my life no one will ever make you cry again. Help is coming honey, it won't be much longer.
"Shh, hush child, I know it hurts, but this pain you feel won't last forever."
"I want my Mama…"
"I know, but that isn't an option anymore, do not fret, I will be here with you until my last breath I will keep you safe and you will never have to cry again as long as I can help it."
"I love you Zoie…"
She thought of the time she hugged Zoie this same way the night her parents died, he was the real guardian not her and even now he is fighting to protect her. She would make him proud and reunite this poor girl all at once, to truly help another would make her life worth living it would finally be something she could call herself proud of doing.